Title: Name of the Game

Author: Rubious

Rating: PG

Pairing: Ban + Ginji

Warnings: Humor, mild angst, shonen ai, AU-OOC.

Spoilers: For the end of the IL arc in episode 25 and as well as episode 26 plus volume 11 of the manga.

Archive: This story can be found at Fanfiction.net and at my home page, Odango and Donuts.

Disclaimer: "Get Backers" © Yuuya Aoki and Rando Ayamine. This story is a work of fanfiction and is for entertainment purposes only.

//thoughts//

Note: When Ban and Ginji find themselves short on funds, they devise some alternatives to make some cash to pay overdue bills.

Enjoy the story.

* * * *

Staring forlornly at the steaming coffee in his favorite mug, Mido Ban swirled the brown liquid around, hoping it would provide an answer to the conundrum that the fates always seemed to lay before him: Why couldn't the Get Backers hang onto their money?

Even after a carefree adventure at a hot springs resort, the harsh reality of too many bills and not enough money intruded on his thoughts. Among their fiscal worries were numerous parking tickets, some medical expenses, even an obligation to buy Natsumi cake for a month.

He traced his finger absently along the edge of his mug, feeling a roughness along a recently repaired crack. Curious, he asked the sixteen-year-old girl standing behind the counter. "Natsumi, when did my mug break?"

She quickly responded apologetically, "Ah, Ban-san, I'm sorry about your mug. It broke when I picked it up to wash it while you were away. I finally was able to glue the handle back on." Natsumi smiled warmly at him as she went over to play some table tennis against the bar's proprietor.

Ban appreciated her kindheartedness. "Thank you very much," he remarked. His thoughts returned to the Get Backers' financial situation. //If it hadn't been for Akabane recklessly slicing and dicing when we turned over the IL disc, we'd certainly be a helluva lot richer. Now look where we are.// The Snake Bite specialist considered devising some legitimate get-cash-quick plans rather than their ill-fated ventures at rigging pachinko machines with Ginji's electrical ability and using the Jagan to covertly aid a horse they had bet on to win a race.

Amano Ginji approached the counter and slung his arm over his partner's shoulder. His brown eyes twinkling, the former resident of Mugenjou spoke in a low yet happy voice. "Ban-chan, come on join the party. Smile and put on your party hat."

The man with the Evil Eye turned and glowered at his comrade. "Ginji, I'm not in the mood."

"Please, Ban-chan. Do it for me, please," the blond Get Backer insisted.

"All right. I will," Ban sighed and put on the conical shaped paper hat as Ginji gleefully tossed confetti in the air, some stray pieces landing in Ban's spiky hair. "Is it someone's birthday?" he asked, seeing the devil's food cake with banana frosting on the counter and wondering what the reasoning for the festivities was.

Before anyone could respond, the waitress raised her arms in the air in celebration and shouted victoriously, "I won! I won!" as a small white ball rolled harmlessly on the floor. Her opponent, Paul, slumped dejectedly in a nearby chair.

Natsumi approached her boss and asked, "Master, do you want to play another game?" He declined and bemoaned the fact that he had lost yet another match to the ping-pong phenom. Turning to the Get Backers with a hopeful expression, she queried, "Ban-san, Ginji-san, do either of you want to play me?"

Both men backed away nervously, recalling their prior games against her at the resort when she defeated them soundly. "We'd rather not. You're too good for us," Ban answered, acknowledging the fact that Natsumi had won medals in local tournaments. "How come you never told us you were the champion of your school's table tennis club?"

Giggling, the victor grinned and replied, "That's easy. You never asked me." The girl returned to her station behind the counter and accepted the glass of iced tea Paul handed her, which was the prize of winning their match.

The proprietor went back to standing behind the counter and resumed reading the newspaper. He chuckled at the news item of a cab driver that had been trapped inside his taxi by a pack of wolves that had strayed into a freshly asphalted area. "It says here the wolves were howling mad because they found out their paradise had been paved over to put up a parking lot."

"Master, could you hand me the classified section?" Ban requested politely.

"Ban-chan?" Ginji looked to his colleague for an explanation.

"Since we haven't got any new assignments from Hevn, I'm seeing if there's any way we can earn some quick cash," Ban explained.

"To pay your tab?" Paul added hopefully, wondering if any income the teens earned would go towards paying down the hefty total they had accumulated at the Honky Tonk.

"Our specialty is finding stolen items. Why not put our talent to work as an employment agency for different businesses? For instance, we could be recruiters for the financial sector. We'd be the 'Get Bankers'."

Peering over Ban's shoulder, Ginji exclaimed, "I like it!" Then he offered his own idea, saying, "For pastry shops, we'd be the 'Get Bakers'."

"If we worked for a motorcycle gang, we'd be the 'Get Bikers'." Ban suggested as he scribbled down the ideas on a pad that Ginji had taken out of one of his many vest pockets. He pondered the scheme for a few moments and blurted out, "If we worked in Green Bay, Wisconsin, for the NFL team, we'd be known as the 'Get Packers'."

"That's the ticket," added Ginji encouragingly.

"Oh, brother," Paul said with a heavy sigh, rolling his eyes as he heard each new outlandish suggestion.

A few minutes later, the bell over the front door jingled as Hevn and Shido entered the Honky Tonk. Natsumi greeted the newcomers cheerfully.

The buxom intermediary glanced around the restaurant, noted that the only customers were the Get Backers, and wondered how the establishment managed to stay afloat with hardly any business. Perhaps Paul had connections to some influential people who acted as silent partners, Hevn speculated.

She noticed the two teens, jabbering by the counter as they perused the newspaper and called out to the dark-haired one. "Ban-kun, I have a job for you." Though the market for retrieval assignments had been scarce recently, the blonde had given the matter some thought and wanted to help the guys out, so Hevn lined up some temporary work for them. Her bust threatened to spill out of her low-cut blouse as she walked over to the Get Backers with a package.

Arching an inquisitive eyebrow, Ban answered, "What is it? Does it pay good money?" The materialistic urge was heard in his voice.

"Yes, it does. It's a short-term assignment and the client also provides the uniform," the curvaceous agent explained. She handed him the package and told him to go change into the outfit to see if it was the correct size.

Ban emerged from the restroom wearing a sombrero, criss-crossing bandoliers over his chest, and a gun belt with two holstered toy pistols. On his upper lip was a fake bushy mustache held in place with spirit gum. He resembled an outlaw in an old spaghetti western film. Everyone in the Honky Tonk turned to look at his new garb, Natsumi couldn't refrain from snickering.

"Ban-chan, you look so different," commented Ginji, grinning winsomely.

"Snake charmer, who are you supposed to be?" Shido asked.

"I have no clue. Hevn?" the Jagan-user looked to the blonde woman for an answer.

"Ah, you'll be passing out samples of corn chips on the street and singing."

The look of initial surprise quickly changed into one of growing rage as the Get Backer growled angrily, "There's no way in hell I'm gonna sing."

"Really?" Shido asked disbelievingly as he grabbed a sheet of paper from Hevn's hand. In an mocking voice, he warbled off-key, "Ai-yi-yi-yi, I am the Mido Bandito. I like these corn chips. And so will you. Ai-yi-yi-yi, I am the Mido Bandito." After finishing his song, the Beastmaster collapsed in a giggling fit. [1]

"Monkey trainer" Ban glared at the would-be comedian who had made him the target of his humor. He especially disliked being ridiculed by someone whose presence he only tolerated for Ginji's sake. The prospect of a new job was inviting and he would endure the embarrassment of wearing a silly costume in public while passing out junk food, but being the brunt of a joke from a dubious ally was another matter.

"You'd be perfect for the job, bakayaro," laughed Shido sardonically.

"Snake bite!" Ban lunged forward at the laughing man, intent on clamping his strong grip on the jokester to shut him up, but Shido escaped out the front door of the Honky Tonk with the irate Get Backer in hot pursuit.

Meanwhile, Akabane Kurodo stopped outside of the restaurant when the front door burst open as the fleeing Shido emerged. His hat tilted at a jaunty angle, the skilled bladesman stepped deftly out of harm's way.

Seeing Doctor Jackal move aside, Ban snarled at him as he rushed past, "This is your fault, Akabane!"

The debonair Akabane arched an eyebrow in response, "Really, Ban-kun, what did I do?" he asked innocently, but his words went unheard as the angry teen had gone out of earshot.

A moment later, the blond teen emerged from the restaurant, chasing after his partner. "Ban-chan! Ban-chan! Come back!" Ginji called repeatedly.

"Ginji-kun, what's going on?" the man in black asked the former Volts leader.

"I'll tell you later. I have to give Ban some more news," he said before going off in pursuit of his colleague.

Chuckling softly, Akabane commented, "Those boys certainly keep me entertained," as he entered the Honky Tonk to await their return.

Blocks away, Ginji finally caught up with his fellow Get Backer, who was leaning against a storefront, cursing the elusive Shido, who had vanished into the streets of Shinjuku with the help of some crows and rats. "There you are, Ban-chan," he called out happily.

"Oi, Ginji," Ban replied in a tired voice.

"Hevn didn't tell us everything. The client needs two people to hand out the samples of their product. I told her I'd do it too."

Hearing that his friend had volunteered to share the distasteful duty, Ban smiled. "This costume still looks corny," the bespectacled Jagan-user remarked.

"We'll be handing out corn chips, so it fits, ne?" the blond joked sweetly.

"Ginji, all this talk about food is making me hungry. Maybe Natsumi will share some of that chocolate cake with us?"

"Ban-chan, I'm sure she will." As they walked back to the Honky Tonk, Ginji slung his arm around his partner's shoulder and hugged him.

"Even though this isn't the best of jobs, we are the Get Backers and we'll always be together," Ginji said softly as he kissed Ban tenderly on the cheek. He giggled as Ban's faux mustache tickled his face.

Through the highs and lows of their relationship, the friendship of the two Get Backers was a tightly knit bond that would withstand the trials of even being advertising mascots.

The End

Author's Notes

[1] The Frito Bandito was the mascot for an advertising campaign for Fritos corn chips in the early 1970s.

[2] For those interested in the anime, the official Get Backers website is www.tbs.co.jp/getbackers.

[3] Dedicated to the special someone who shares the wonderful addiction known as Ban and Ginjiness.